


Missing

by lovesewndingle



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-06-01 14:01:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15144671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesewndingle/pseuds/lovesewndingle
Summary: Robert Sugden is a Detective Chief Inspector. Up until a week ago, he worked in London, working mainly on cold cases. Something went wrong. Now, he's working in Hotten and his first case back in his hometown is the case of missing boy, Aaron Dingle.I was inspired to write this because I made an aesthetic moodboard for this AU.





	1. Chapter One : 04/09/15

Robert Sugden closed his car door and took a deep breath of Yorkshire air. The distinct smell of countryside, so different to the city smell of London that he’d gotten used to recently.  
He cracked his neck and hesitated, wondering if this was the right thing to do. The sun’s rays were bright and strong in his eyes, surprising for Britain but not surprising for his home town of Emmerdale Village.  
He remembers spending morning, noon and night on the farm, helping his Father, alongside his brother, Andy. He closed his eyes and blocked out the memory, turning on his heel to approach his colleague.  
"Morning." Robert said with a nod. His female colleague, Chrissie White, returned the nod, her freshly manicured fingers wrapped around a to go coffee cup. She drained the last of it and threw it in the rubbish bin beside them, waiting for the caffeine to awaken and ignite in her bloodstream.  
"So, what do we know?" Robert asked, stepping forwards towards the pub, in step with Chrissie.  
"Young lad, Aaron Dingle, missing since last night, possibly." Chrissie read from her notes in her hand.  
Robert hated missing person cases. The pressure was almost too much to bare sometimes.  
Chrissie and Robert had only met the previous week, in Hotten Police Station. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was a tough cookie. Someone not to be messed with. Small, but mighty.  
"Possibly?" Robert quizzed.  
"The Mother can't pinpoint a definite time. Could've been last night, could've been this morning."  
The pub was a place of nostalgia for Robert. He knew the place like the back of his hand and suppressed a smirk to himself at the thought of how many times he'd tried desperately to obtain a pint of beer, underage.  
"Miss Dingle, I'm DI White and this is my colleague DCI Sugden." Chrissie stepped forwards to a woman, visibly shaking in one of the booths. The room was dark, only one set of curtains had been opened. The woman's dressing gown was open slightly to show button up floral pyjamas and her slippers juddered on the wooden floor as she shook.  
"We're here to help so any information you can provide would be helpful." Chrissie smiled, softly and sat beside the woman.  
"You should be out there! Looking for him! Not in here! Quizzing us!" A man threw his arms up in exasperation.  
"Cain, please!" The woman said, taking the glass of water in front of her and putting it to her lips and taking a small sip.  
"Miss Dingle, we-" Robert began.  
"-please, call me Chas." The woman said, the lines of worry were already deep in her brow and the wet lines of tears formed in lines, running straight down her cheeks and onto her chest. Robert gave a small nod.  
"Chas, we need to know everything. What he's wearing, where and when you last saw him." Robert remained stood up and got a small notepad out of his pocket.  
Chas began to cry again.  
"It's been a long night for us, can't you just leave us alone?" Cain grumbled.  
Chas shot him a look.  
"I last saw him here last night. We'd had a row, like usual. I can't even remember what it was over but Aaron disappeared to his room and slammed the door. I made myself a cup of tea and fell asleep on the sofa watching a film. I headed up to bed at around 3... maybe 4am? Then when I went to wake Aaron for his breakfast this morning, he'd gone." Chas' voice faltered slightly and she tried her best to regain her composure.  
"Okay. And was there anything different about this argument?" Chrissie asked.  
Chas shook her head.  
"No, no. Just over something or nothing like it always is. He tells me I'm a shit Mum, I tell him he's a bad kid and that's it." Chas put her head in her hands, ashamed of herself.  
Chrissie patted her on the back. They decided, mutually and silently, to give Chas a while to calm herself down a little.  
"Are we okay to take a quick look around?" She asked.  
Cain rolled his eyes.  
"Sure. It's just through the bar. Aaron's room is the first on the right as you reach the top of the stairs." Chas said, pointing, knowing they wouldn't allow her to go through with them.  
Chrissie stood and Robert followed, heading through into the back room.  
The smell of toast was lingering in the air where Chas had been making breakfast. Robert's stomach growled. He really should've grabbed something to eat on the way into the village.  
Chrissie's eyes surveyed the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Signs of a physical fight, signs of a tidy up.  
"What are you thinking?" She quizzed.  
Robert shrugged. "He's a bit of an odd one, isn't he?" He asked.  
"Who? The man?" Chrissie asked. Robert nodded a reply.  
"Yeah. I've been told he's a law to himself most of the time. Should get him a loyalty card for our place, he's there enough." Chrissie placed rubber gloves onto her hands and began looking through the pile of old post on the table.  
"Maybe they argued and she pushed him, he hit his head on the corner of the table and she called in 'big bro' to get rid of the body." Robert suggested, quietly.  
Chrissie didn't reply. Robert walked to the table near the entrance of the room. He looked at the vase of fresh flowers, the cordless telephone, left out of the stand after Chas made the call to the police earlier that morning. His eyes rested on the photographs.  
"Or perhaps it was an accident." Chrissie finally replied.  
Robert's frown deepened and he reached out a hand for one of the photoframes. It showed Chas, a little younger, with her arms around a young boy. Their smiles leapt out of the photograph.  
"Is this him? Is this Aaron?" Robert asked, not even turning to face Chrissie. He placed the frame back down and looked beside it at a photo of the boy as he is now, taken a few months previous on his birthday, grinning a forced smile behind the glow of candles on a cake.  
"Uhhhhh, yeah, I think so." Chrissie was busy looking through the cupboards on the other side of the room now.  
Robert gulped down the lump that had formed in his throat.  
He couldn't believe he hadn't recognised her, the young barmaid that denied him the pints of beer, the young barmaid who forced her son to help out at the farm one Summer because he'd been naughty.  
He knew him.  
He knew Aaron Dingle.


	2. Chapter Two : 23/07/08

\- Flashback to 2008 -

Aaron Dingle kicks his feet into the ground as he glumly approaches the Sugden farm.  
The sun is hot on his neck as he had stormed off before Chas could slather layers of sun cream into him.  
He honestly wanted to be anywhere but here right now.  
"Come on, you're late." A voice shouted from the distance. Aaron rolled his eyes, wishing he had just ignored his Mother's punishment and gotten the bus into town instead. Seen a film at the cinema or something. It was Summer, after all.  
Andy Sugden stood proudly, the sleeves of his tshirt rolled up to show his tanned arms. "Aaron, nice to see you." Jack Sugden smiled, beside him, the brim of his flat cap hiding the sun's rays from his eyes. He held out a hand to Aaron, looking down at it and wiping it off before re-offering it.  
Aaron smiled a false smile and shook the man's hand.  
"You're going to be helping out Andy and Robert for the Summer. It's really kind of you to offer to help us and I think it's something you'll find really interesting." Jack explained. Aaron nodded but remained silent, not wanting to offend the man.  
"So, I'll have the boys give you a tour of the place and we'll get started." Jack smiled. He turned to Andy, expecting Robert to be by his brother's side.  
He sighed.  
"Andy, would you please go and locate your brother." He sounded annoyed.  
Aaron bit the inside of his cheek, suddenly, and unexpectedly, feeling nervous.  
"First day of Summer and Robert can't even be bothered to get his lazy arse out of bed." Jack muttered to himself.  
"Follow me." Andy said with a grin. He'd always been his Dad's favourite because he was reliable and Andy played on that a lot.  
Aaron shifted the rucksack onto his other shoulder and followed Andy inside the house, glad to be out of the warmth of the sun. Even at only 9am, it was already humid and the sky practically hummed with the heat build up.  
"Robert!!!!" Andy called up the stairs, using one hand to open the fridge as he did it. Aaron jumped out of his skin at the sudden volume Andy had gone to.  
"What?" A voice called back, grumpy and half asleep.  
"Get up, you lazy oaf! Aaron is here!" Andy smiled an apology at Aaron as he grabbed for the glass bottle of milk that stood in the fridge door. It was evidently from their own cows.  
"Who?"  
Andy groaned, mortified.  
"Just come here!" He called back.  
A few minutes later, the stairs thudded as Robert ran down them, huffing and puffing at being awoken. His hair was sticking up at all angles and being in only his boxer shorts meant that his slightly toned stomach was the only thing Aaron could look at.  
"It's the Summer. That means no early mornings. It means late nights, sunshine and parties. It means girls." Robert grabbed the mug of tea Andy had just made for himself with a quick swipe.  
His brother exhaled angrily and glared at him.  
"Summer means helping Dad with jobs on the farm. Not getting mindlessly drunk like an idiot and stumbling home at ridiculous o'clock. You're 22, Robert. Not 16." Andy threw at him.  
Robert was amused. If he had to write a list of hobbies, winding his brother up would be number one on the list.  
"Well, if I was 16, I wouldn't be drunk, would I? That's illegal." Robert retorted.  
Andy sighed. "Just because you're training to be a policeman, doesn't mean you know the ins and outs of the law." He said.  
"How old are you?" Robert turned to Aaron.  
Aaron opened his mouth to reply and wondered if he should lie. Should he say he was older? Should he exaggerate the truth to appear cool in front of the two older boys?  
"I'm 16." He said, deciding instead to stick to the truth.  
"Look at that, just offending our new friend here, Andrew." Robert said. He knew using Andy's full name would irritate him more. He knew exactly which buttons to press.  
Aaron shook his head.  
"Nah, it's fine. I drink." He shrugged.  
"Don't tell him that. He'll rat you out to his police buddies for underage drinking." Andy said, handing Aaron a mug of tea.  
"Like I would EVER." Robert rolled his eyes. "Aren't you going to tell Aaron you got him that mug especially?" He asked Andy, embarrassing his brother.  
"I..." Andy had gone a shade of crimson.  
"He found out last week that you were joining us for the Summer and his first words were that he just HAD to buy you a mug!" Robert was doubled over, laughing.  
Aaron was strangely touched by Andy's kind gesture.  
"I just... wanted him to feel at home. Like this isn't a job... but somewhere for us to hang out." Andy stumbled over his words, feeling like an idiot.  
"Aw. My brother, you are kind." Robert was still laughing as he drained his mug of tea and ran upstairs to get dressed.

*back to 2015*

Robert opened the mug cupboard in the Woolpack and stared at the same, slightly chipped mug as it was now. Slightly faded and definitely overused. He couldn't believe Aaron had actually kept it.  
"Right, I think we're done here. Don't you?" Chrissie asked, removing her gloves with a snap. A snap that snapped Robert right out of his day dream and back to reality. The reality of Aaron Dingle being missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to add another chapter, exploring their past. If you'd like me to carry on, please let me know. I'm thinking possibly flitting between past and present but I can't decide. Thoughts and comments would be appreciated.


	3. Chapter Three : Going Home

Robert and Chrissie made their way back through in to the bar area. Chas and Cain were talking in the booth.  
"Miss Dingle, we're going to head out and do some door to door checks with anyone in the area. Is there anyone you think we should go to first? Anyone that could help us?" Chrissie asked.  
Chas looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes and trying to make her brain work. Robert put his head down, his eyes burning holes into the slightly worn carpet. He didn't want to be recognised. Not that Chas would ever recognise him. She was far too cut up about Aaron to even think straight right now.  
"You could try the farm. Aaron's best friend lives there, Adam Barton. He's my step-son." Cain pointed out for his sister. Chas nodded in agreement.  
"Okay, good. We'll start there and work our way down to the village again. Please, bare with us. We're going to do everything we can to bring Aaron home." Chrissie smiled and placed a supportive hand on Chas' shoulder.

Robert adjusted his tie and cleared his throat, hearing the footsteps from behind the door. It was weird being back there, the place he once called home. He wondered if it had changed inside or if the walls were still painted the same boring soft blue colour that Andy had painted them.  
"Morning. May we come inside?" Chrissie smiled at the woman in front of her, wrapped in a towel. She flashed her police badge, Robert did the same.  
"Erm... sure.... can I go and get dressed?" The Scottish woman asked, looking startled. Chrissie nodded and stepped into the house.  
Robert shuddered. The smell of the house was exactly the same, despite it being years later and owned by a completely different family.  
The woman returned moments later, now in blue jeans with a dark blue, long sleeved tshirt, rubbing her curls dry in a towel. "Sorry, I've just finished on the farm. I've been sorting the cows this morning, getting the calves tagged and numbered.... I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I'm Moira, by the way." She smiled. You could tell she was nervous. Who isn't though, when the police turn up at your door first thing in the morning.  
Chrissie and Robert had sat themselves on one of the sofas.  
"No problem. Moira, are you married to Cain Dingle?" Robert asked. The woman's eyes widened.  
"What's he done now?" She asked, the tone of her voice changing.  
"Nothing, nothing. His... nephew has gone missing." Robert resorted to his notepad, hoping he'd got the relationship between Aaron and Cain correct. He'd been briefed by Chrissie on the way up that their family tree was somewhat twisted. He'd remembered Aaron telling him this but only remembered when Chrissie mentioned it.  
"What? Aaron? Missing? Oh my goodness. Why hasn't Cain called me? Chas must be losing her mind!" Moira reached for her phone on the coffee table but Chrissie held a hand out to stop her.  
"We'd rather you didn't call him just yet, Mrs Dingle. We'd like to establish where your own son is first. Cain tells us that he and Aaron are close?" She said, softly.  
"You think Adam had something to do with this?" The woman's voice raised up again in a furious Mama Bear protecting her cubs tone. If Mama Bears could speak.  
"We're just trying to find out if Adam saw Aaron after the last time he was seen. We're trying to work out a time frame, Aaron's movements before he disappeared." Robert tried to soothe the woman into calming down.  
"Adam is in bed. He always is until this time, then I make his breakfast and he heads out to start the rest of the work on the farm..." Moira seemed to soften. Robert nodded as Moira stood at the bottom of the stairs and shouted her son. There was no reply. She called out again. Nothing.  
Moira swallowed and rubbed her temples.  
"Can I please call my son?" She asked, looking at Chrissie.  
Chrissie nodded and looked at Robert who wandered his way across the room to the shelf unit that held a PlayStation and two controllers. 

\- Flashback to 2008 -

"You've got to be joking!" Aaron fumed. Robert laughed and punched the air. Aaron slammed the PlayStation controller down on the sofa beside him and folded his arms, not caring that he looked like a child throwing a tantrum.  
"It's alright, mate. Maybe next time, hey?" Robert punched Aaron's arm lightly. Aaron grumbled.  
"Alright, alright. Rematch?" Robert asked, tilting his head to the side with a small grin. Aaron sighed and picked the controller back up again.  
"Fine. But I'm playing as Liverpool this time." He said.  
"Fine." Robert grinned.  
Robert hated to admit it, but having Aaron on the farm made the days really pass by. The days when the sky poured with rain, they'd sit and have Fifa tournaments instead of working, snacking on pizza and drinking cola before having burping matches too. To see who could burp the loudest, who could burp for the longest. It was fun.  
"So... how come you're here?" Aaron asked after he won the next match. Robert had chosen a rubbish team, though he'd never tell Aaron he'd let him win.  
"I live here, Aaron." Robert replied, a small laugh escaping from his mouth alongside the words.  
"No.. I mean... here. On the farm." Aaron rolled his eyes.  
"Well, I figured one last Summer with my Dad and Andy would be nice." Robert shrugged. "Plus, when Diane is around, I don't have to try and cook anything." He added.  
Aaron took a gulp of cola and laughed, trying not to choke.  
"I guess..." Robert began but stopped himself.  
Aaron turned, questioning him with a look alone.  
"Nah, doesn't matter." Robert smiled, picking up the controller for round 3.  
"Go on. What were you going to say?" Aaron was far older than his sixteen years.  
Robert licked his lips and looked down, tracing the controller buttons with his fingertip and avoiding eye contact, feeling foolish.  
"I guess I'm only becoming a policeman to impress my Dad. I don't want to work on the farm for the rest of my life like Andy because I know I'll never match up to him and the work he puts into the place. You see my Dad and Andy together, don't you? They're so alike and so in tune and I just..." Robert laughed a little. "I just feel like an outsider. I want to get away. Leave them to it. I don't think they'll even miss me." He wondered why he'd opened up to Aaron. He'd never told a soul how he felt. He'd just pushed it aside and placed his bravado suit on, turning to sarcasm and wit to mask his true feelings and how much it hurt to feel like his own Father didn't love him.  
Aaron nodded.  
"That sucks." He said, simply. Robert smirked.  
"You know what else sucks? The fact I'm about to whoop your ass on Fifa. Again." Robert's mask was back in place. Sarcasm mode was reactivated.  
Aaron watched the older man as he picked his next football team, his tongue in the corner of his mouth for concentration, his eyes smaller as he scrolled through each player. He pushed the feelings of admiration away, feeling like an idiot. Why would Robert ever like him? He's just a kid.

-Back to present day - 

Robert and Chrissie both turned to face the door as it slammed shut.  
"What's going on?" A man asked, pulling one of his earphones from his ear with a confused frown burrowing it's way towards his eyebrows.  
"Adam... it's Aaron. He's missing." Moira rushed at him, taking her son in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear your thoughts on how it's going and if this makes sense. Comments are always appreciated!


	4. Chapter Four : A Cup Of Tea

"Mr Barton, please, take a seat." Chrissie extended a hand out towards the empty armchair beside her as Moira made her way through to the kitchen to make a round a tea for everyone. Adam's hands were visibly shaking. Robert wondered if the shock was even real or if he was genuinely surprised that they were in his house. The bass of the music playing through the headphones hummed as Adam sat down, his eyes fixed to the ground, wide.  
"Adam, I'm DI White and this is my colleague DCI Sugden." Adam's eyes suddenly flicked upwards, like a switch in his brain had been triggered. "We're here to collect as much information from you as we can. It's extremely important that you tell us everything you can remember, everything you know." Chrissie placed her hands in her lap, trying to appear open and trustworthy.  
"Did you say Sugden?" Adam was staring at Robert now. Chrissie frowned, turning to Robert, confusion etched upon her face. Robert's face mirrored hers. He nodded a reply to Adam, too lost for any actual words.  
"Do you have a sister?" Adam asked. Robert blinked.  
"I do."  
"Victoria?" Adam sat forward in his seat. Robert's heart was thudding through his chest now.  
"Yeah. That's my sister." Robert's frown had yet to leave his face.  
Adam fumbled in his pocket and pulled his mobile phone out. "Yeah, well, she's my girlfriend." He touched a button and the screen lit up, showing a smiling photograph of Adam and a girl. She was brunette, pretty, with a beautiful smile. Wow, she'd grown up.

-Flashback to 2008-

"So who is this?" Aaron asks, pointing to a photograph held onto the fridge with a magnet. Robert turns over his shoulder, pouring boiling water into their mugs.  
"Oh, that's Victoria. My sister." He smiles, sadly, Aaron notices. He decides not to ask anymore questions. "She's living with my Aunt." Robert finished.  
Aaron pulls the kitchen chair out from under the table and takes a seat, his back aching from all of the work they'd done. They deserved this rest. Andy and Jack were out again, at some auction.  
Robert placed the kettle down and reached for the milk, knocking over one of the mugs in process, covering his left hand in boiling tea. He screamed out expletives.  
"Oh my god." Aaron jumped out of his seat, rushing towards the cold tap. "Put your hand under there, now!" He ordered.  
Robert did as he was instructed but pulled his hand back in pain.  
"Trust me, Robert." Aaron grabbed the older man's wrist and held it there, his grip strong. Robert looked across at the concentration on Aaron's face, his fingers turning numb as the water got colder.  
"I'm fine now. It doesn't hurt anymore." Robert tried to pull his hand back but Aaron wouldn't allow it.  
"When I was at school, we did a first aid course. It may be numb on the surface but it'll still be burning the layers of skin underneath. It'll be one big blister in half an hours time if you don't get it back under that tap." Aaron's tone was serious. This amused Robert.  
"Wow. You actually attended a class at school? Goodness me. You didn't bunk off to drink and smoke in the bushes? Wow!" He teased. Aaron frowned at him, annoyed. He threw the man's hand away, no longer caring if he was hurt.  
"Come on, I'm joking. I know it's just because you'd have more work to do on the farm if I had an injury." Robert held his soaking wet hand in his other hand, watching as Aaron grabbed his coat from the coat hook on the back of the door.  
"Aaron!" Robert said. Aaron didn't reply, instead grabbing his rucksack and opening the door.  
"Aaron!!!" Robert called out again. He watched through the window as Aaron made his way down the drive. He watched as Aaron's figure got smaller and smaller the further away he got.  
Robert sighed and looked down at his hand, the skin was getting more red by the second. He groaned, annoyed that the boy was right and placed his hand back under the cold water.

-Back to 2015-

Robert stared at the photo of his sister before Adam pulled the phone away again, retracting his arm reach.  
"How is she?" Robert murmured. Chrissie glared at him. Now was not the time.  
"Here you go." Moira said, interrupting them and handing the mug of tea to Robert. Robert shuddered, a chill slipping down his spine. He glanced at his left hand. Aaron's advice had worked and though it was red for a few days afterwards, today there was no blister and no scar. He'd forgotten the moment until now.  
"Thank you." Robert said, quietly, his mind buzzing with thoughts.  
"So, Adam, where and when did you last see Aaron?" Chrissie asked, pulling her own notepad out to jot down Adam's responses.  
"It was probably-" Adam was cut off by the sound of Chrissie's telephone ringing in her pocket.  
"Sorry. One second." She said, an apologetic smile on her lips as she stood to take the call elsewhere.  
Adam stared across at Robert, looking at him up and down.  
"She talks about you, you know. Like you're some big hero." Adam laughed a small laugh and shook his head. "Her big brother, the cop."  
"Adam, that's enough." Moira warned.  
"No, Mum. He left her. He left her when she needed him the most. Just after your Dad died, right? You just pissed off and left her when her world was torn apart and when her heart was broken." Adam's face had turned red with fury.  
Robert looked down at his mug, not able to make eye contact with the man.  
"Robert, we need to go. We'll be in touch soon." Chrissie looked serious. Scared.  
Robert stood, glancing at Adam who was still fuming at the him.  
The pair walked to the car and Chrissie remained silent, not wanting information to be shared in front of Moira and Adam.  
"Chrissie, what's wrong?" Robert was worried. Chrissie said nothing. Robert pulled the car keys from his pocket and with the touch of a button, the doors unlocked and they both got inside.  
Robert started the engine and looked across at his collegue, expecting a destination to be put into the SatNav.  
She took a deep breath and rubbed at her forehead with her manicured hand.  
"Chrissie?" Robert asked, again, leaning forwards and trying to enter the woman's mind.  
"They've found a body, Robert." She replied, finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnnnn! Cliffhanger. Thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated, either here or twitter (@lovesewndingle)


	5. Chapter Five : A Cold Room

It wasn't until Chrissie pulled into the space at the local hospital that Robert realised he'd spent most of the car journey holding his breath. He felt sick to his stomach. Nervous, panicked, his palms sweating.  
"Right. We're here." Chrissie was clearly nervous too.   
"What exactly was said?" Robert asked, clearing his throat afterwards. His voice had come out croaky.  
"The boss said they'd had a call from the scenes of crime guys. Young lad had been found in the river. They're not sure if it's our guy but thought they'd have to show us. Just in case." Chrissie said.   
Robert nodded, turning as a car pulled up beside them.   
One of their uniformed colleagues in a lower rank nodded at them as they opened the back door for the person inside. Chas Dingle got out, joined by another woman. Chas was visibly distraught, dressed in a red long sleeved top and black jeans, her hair scraped into a high ponytail.  
Chrissie stepped forwards, shifting her paperwork and folder from her hands under her armpit to offer Chas a supportive hug.   
"Chas, thank you for coming. I know this is extremely difficult but if it is..." Chrissie swallowed before continuing, "If it is Aaron they've found, it's important to get you to identify him." She tried to offer comfort but it was no use, understandably.   
"And will we have to see him? Be stood over him?" The woman accompanying Chas asked. She looked equally as devastated.  
"No. It'll be done by television screen. You'll just have to say yes or no and then we take the image off of the screen. You don't have to be in the same room as him." Robert offered.   
The woman nodded, tears in her eyes. They walked together into the hospital, Chas kept her head down, dreading reading the word MORGUE on the signs. Their shoes squeaked as they walked the corridors of the maze-like hospital. They passed happy faces of Mothers taking home newborns, they passed people being taken to surgery in their beds and not a single word was said the entire time.  
Robert spoke through an intercom, trying his best to be quiet and delicate with his wording.   
"DI Sugden, DI White, here to identify the body." There was a buzzing noise and the door opened, leading to another long corridor. The woman on reception smiled an apologetic smile and informed them it would be the third door on the left.  
"Mum, I can't do this." Chas said as they approached the door. Robert realised this woman was Faith, Aaron's grandmother. He'd spoken of her a couple of times when they were on the farm together.   
"Listen to me, you are strong. You can do this. I'm going to be here sweetheart. Every step of the way." Faith took Chas' hand in hers and gripped it tightly. Faith nodded at Chrissie who opened the door. 

-Flashback to 2008-  
Robert gazed up at the sun as he walked, wondering if they'd ever see rain again. It had been sunny for days now and though his tan was looking great, the work on the farm was getting increasingly harder.   
"The wanderer returns!" Andy announced, loudly. Both himself and Aaron were hard at it on the farm, sweat glistening on their foreheads and their skin looking pink with the hint of sunburn.   
"Carry on with that and you won't get these!" Robert retorted, holding up three ice lollies, one for each of them.  
"YES!" Aaron's sixteen year old self showed as he practically ran at the older boy. "You're a legend." He said, tearing the wrapper off, not caring that it was already melting.  
Robert laughed and nodded. "You're right." He agreed.  
The three boys sat down on the hard ground, each silently enjoying their treat in the sunshine. "What time is Grandma Annie coming over tomorrow?" Andy asked.   
Robert shrugged.   
"Dunno. May try and be out of the way for that." He said, pulling a face. Andy threw his ice lolly stick at him.   
"You know you're her favourite. She'll probably slip you another £10 when she thinks I'm not looking." He groaned.   
Robert smirked. "True." He turned to Aaron who was silent, looking awkward. "What's wrong with you?" He asked.   
"Aaron doesn't know his Nan, do ya?" Andy said.  
Aaron shook his head. "Never met her. Well, I have but I don't remember. Mum said she visited once when I was born but never came back. My Grandad Shadrach says she was a piece of work but of course he'd say that." Aaron was trying to act like he didn't care.   
"Do you think you'll ever see her again?" Andy asked, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked over at Aaron.  
"Dunno. Don't care." Aaron lied. He saw how much hatred his Mum had for his Nan, she'd never had a good word to say about her. "Maybe she'll come back eventually but it'll probably just be for money or something. She doesn't give a shit about us. Never has and never will." He said.   
Robert regretted being harsh about his own Nan instantly. The three of them sat silently, each one not quite knowing what to say.

-Back to present day-

Robert's jaw clenched together as he waited for the image to show on the screen.   
What would happen if it was Aaron? How would he feel? Sure, they were once... friends but that was years ago. From the sounds of it, they'd both changed a lot since then. Even if Aaron was alive and they managed to bring him home, would he even remember Robert?   
And what does it matter if he did or didn't? They were different people now with different lives and different thoughts.  
Robert's mind was in overdrive and he hoped it wasn't evident to Chas or Faith. Or even Chrissie.  
"Okay, Miss Dingle, we're about to put the image onto the screen now." Chrissie confirmed, her voice apologetic that they were having to put her through this.  
"Wait, please." Chas almost shouted. "Just... please can I have another minute?" She practically begged.  
Chrissie held a hand up to the woman behind the window.   
The body lay there, under a white sheet. It had been collected earlier that day, along with any evidence they could find. It was then washed and then the post mortem had taken place. Robert wished they'd hurry up. The wait was agonising. He was so far into his own head that he hadn't even noticed Chrissie leave the room. She returned with a plastic cup of cold water that she handed to Chas who accepted it with shaking hands. Robert noticed an engagement ring. He made a mental note to ask about that at another point. Not now.  
"Okay." Chas said, handing her Mum the cup of water. Just in case. Just in case it was her son, her boy, her only child, laying cold on that table.  
Chrissie nodded at the woman and the television screen showed the body, still covered by a sheet. The woman removed it slowly, revealing the face.   
Chas let out a sob and fell to the ground as Robert stared at the screen, his heart thudding.  
"It's not him. It's not our Aaron. It's not our boy." Faith managed to say, wrapping her arms around her sobbing daughter.   
Though the relief was evident, their hearts still broke for whoever's child that was on that table. Whoever had to be in this very spot but have their world come crashing down around them.

It was difficult, but for now, at least, there was hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long wait but I had to create suspense. Sudden inspiration struck again with this one. Comments would be amazing, I'd love to know what you thought!


End file.
